Vehicle-tire.



G. KELLY.

VEHICLE TIRE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25, 1912. 1,096,842, Patented May 19, 1914.

III.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES ATTORNEY G. KELLY.

VEHICLE TIRE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25, 1912.

1,096,842. Patented May 19, 1914.

3 SHEIITB-SHEET 2. i v

Georycfflll IWENTORN WITNESSES ATTORNEY G. KELLY.

VEHICLE TIRE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25,1912.

GEbRGE KELLY, OF HINSDALE, ILLINOIS.

VEHICLE-TIRE.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE KELLY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hinsdale, in the county of Dupage and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Vehicle-Tire, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in vehicle tires, and is designed more particularly for the production of automobile tires, although the invention may be successfully used in connection with autotrucks.

The object of the invention is to utilizediscarded or worn out pneumatic-tire casings, fire or steam hose, and the like, for the production of tires having the elasticity of solid rubber tires or cushion tires at but a small fraction of the cost of production of sufch tires, and at the same time having long li e.

The life of the outer casing of a pneumatic tire is quite limited and oftentimes tire casings are rendered useless by accident or wear affecting but a portion of the tire casing, while other portions are serviceable, but repairs are too costly and consequently the casing is discarded. Such casings, and casings or hose which have been discarded for any cause, are useful in connection with the production of the present tire, which may be practically continuous throughout the circumference of the wheel, or ma be made in short sections or blocks, in w ich latter case repairs are greatly facilitated.

In carrying out the present invention the discarded casings are cut into appropriate lengths, and then nested and secured together to form an approximately solld tire, or one with an inclosed air glocket, in which latter case the tire is in t e nature of a cushion tire.

In accordance with the present invention the tire casings may be so nested as to present the tread portion of the outer one of the nested tires to the groundfor the nested sections of the tire'may be reversed so that the adjoining edges are presented to the ground, and the sections may be provided with suitable means, such as nails or screws, so arranged as to present the heads to the ground, in which case the tire becomes antiskidding.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in connection with I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19, 1914.

Application filed June 25, 1912. Serial No. 705,833.

the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, with the further understanding that while the showings of the drawings illustrate practical forms of the lnvention it may assume other forms wherein the salient features of the invention are retained, wherefore the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of thedrawings.

1n the drawings :Figure 1 is a longitudinal radial section of a portion of a wheel rim with a sectional tire therein, one member being shown in longitudinal radial section. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig 1, but showing a different embodiment of the invention. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a section on the lineG-G of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is-a view partly in perspective and partly in section of a tire made in accordance with the present invention, wherein an outer casing, complete so far as its cross-sectional contour is concerned, is employed. Fig. 8 is a section on the line 88 of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a crosssection of a tire similar in some respects to that shown in Fig. 7, but otherwise similar to Fi s. 1, 2, and 3.

Re erringto the drawings, there is shown a wheel rim 1 carried by spokes 2. Thisextent typical, and while the structure shown is practicable, the invention is not confined to the particular form of wheel rim shown, but other forms of wheel rim may be emplo ed. Nor is it necessary in carrying out t 0 present invention to limit the distances between the ribs 4 to that indicated, for in some forms of the invention, especially where the tire is not of the sectional block form, the ribs 4 maybe spaced apart greater distances or entirely omitted. i

The tire between the ribs 4 is formed into seats or pockets 5 each designed to receive a block 6, Figs. 1, 2 and 3, or' a block 7, Figs. 4, 5 and 6, these blocks being shown as conforming in shape longitudinally to the curvature of the wheel rim, andspaced apart at the ends distances equal "to the be used depends upon the lengths; of such blocks, so that if a block be long enough a single one may be sufficient to constitute the 't re, the ends being brought into close relation.

- It is usually preferable to make the blocks 6 or 7 of comparatively-short length, thus permitting the utilization .of tire casings to a greater extent than in the longer lengths and greatly facilitating the making Of repairs for the single short blocks are much more readily removed and replaced than-is the case with longer blocks.

Tire casings are customarily made upof a number of adjacent layers of fabric impregnated with rubber, and exterior to the fabric is a covering of rubber. In the case of old tires the outer rubber casing may be materially worn, but usually some parts are not so badly worn as others, and in the 7 form of the tire shown inFigs. 4:, 5 and 6 as these parts usually receive little-or no wear tire.

the least worn portions may be utilized for the tread part of the, improved tire.

In the form shown in Figs; 1, 2- and' 3 the cut-0d edges of the casings are utilized, and

they are practically the same as-in anew In Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the tire is of this last-.

named type wherethe. opposite edges of the tire casing :areutilized for the tread portionof the new tire and several tire casings indicated at 8, 9, 10, 11- and 12- arenested together, being. cutto appropriate length and width for the purpose, the original cross-sectional curvature of the casings,

which may be of different sizes, facilitating the assembling. The nested casings constituting a tire section are so cutrthat the 45 stantially chord relation to the cross-sectional curvature of the the section. Whertread portion of the tire section is in subever desired elastic strips 13, 14 of metal are applied to the tire, some being embeddedbetween intermediate layers, and others being exterior, as indicated, and these exterior strips may be joined' by longitudinal'.

strips 15 through which latter and through the strips 14. where coincident therewith screws 16 are passed and are embedded in the assembled casings, so as to unite them, Wherefore the section 6 ,tends to hold its shape in action.

It is customary to introduce a longitudinalstrip17, and at an appropriate point in theblock 6a cavity 18 is provided for the passage of a bolt 19, which bolt may pass through a hole in the strip 17 and through the rim 1 of the wheel, so as to se cure the block firmly in place, the strip 17,

be formed of a .the tire.

which is of metal, contributing to this re sult. After the bolt 19 is seated, the cavity 18 may be closed by a filler 20, which may portion of a casing cemented in place.

The cavity or seat 5 vided with filling-in pieces 21, which may likewise be made of discarded tire casings, and thetire block 6 readily seats against the filling-in pieces 21, While distortion of the parts under the stresses of travel is prevented/by the metallic strips, although the assembled casings themselves resist to a large extent distorting 'fOICBSL The block, 6 is further held'inplace by screws 22 or through the flanges' of thewheel rim and entering. the body of the block 6. The number of these screws is determined by the sizes of the-blocks 6 and the demand upon The tread surface of each block 6 is appropriately protected against moisture by any suitable applied material, and is to an extent protected against wear by numerous nails 23 driven into the tire at the tread porin the rim designed to receive the corresponding block 6 1s proother suitable fastening devices extending tion' thereof, so that the headsof the nails i are exposed. Of course, screws may replace nails and it will be understood that the term nails is used in a broad enough sense tocover any kind of studs on the tread surface of the tire, these studs not only preventing undue wear, but by their action upon the ground or other surface acting as anti-skidding devicesand imparting a good grip to the tire upon the surface over which the tire travels. In the particular structure'shown in Figs.

.1, 2 and 3 the end of" each block 6 is spaced from the neighboring blocks byv a distance equal to the thickness of the ribs 4, but it brought closely together, or even in abutment, and the invention is not, therefore, confined in this respect to the exact arrangement shown. However, the individualizing and spacing of the blocks is advantageous in facilitating repairs and replacement.

In the structure shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 the arrangement of the tire casings when nested is the reverse of that of Figsl, 2 and 3 and the normal curved sui face of the casing section of largest diameter is utilized as the tread surface. The casings are so cut that the parts will nest tightly Within an outer section and may be united by screws 24 extending through washers 25, or any other suitable manner.

In the particular showing Figs. l, 5

and 6 three casing sections 26, 27 and 28'are indicated. Such an arrangement makes a very serviceable tire of from three and onehalf to four inches in diameter with an inner cavity-29 as long as the block 7. The edge portions of the nested casings are 'Will be understood that the blocks. maybe I Q shown as inclosin lodged within the seat 5 of the rim and traversing the nested casings are an appropriate number of rods or bolts 30 which may be headed at the ends or otherwise appropriately formed to bind the casings together within the seat 5. Each rib 4 has at its center a channel 31 extending circumferentially and each rib 4 receives a cap block 32 also provided with a channel 33 matching the channel 31. These channels together form receptacles for the ends of rods 34 which may be curved substantially concentric with the axis of rotation of the wheel and are lodged within the cavity 29 in overlying relation to the rods or bolts 30, so as to e ectually hold the tire block 7 in place. Screws 35 extending through the flanges 3 of the rim aid in holding the blocks 7 to their seats 5.

The form of tire shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 is somewhat more elastic than that of the form shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, but is lacking in the broad tread. However, it has its advantages for certain types of vehicles over and above the form of Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 show a form of tire where discarded outer casings are utilized in their entirety so far as their cross sectional extent is concerned, and such outer casing, indicated at 36 in Fig. 7, may be utilized in comparatively long or comparatively short circumferential sections. In Fig. 7 two such sections are indicated as mounted upon a rim 37 shaped to receive the beads 38 which practically all outer casings have. The rim 37 is shown as provided with flanges 39, 40 shaped to receive and lock the beads to the rim, and for facility of attachment and removal of the completed tire the flange 40 may be made removable in any suitable manner. In the particular instance shown the flange 40 is held to the main body of the rim by bolts 41, which may be made to traverse the portion of the tire immediately between the flanges, thusnot only holding the tire firmly in place, but because of the sectional character of the tire preventing it from being dislodged from the rim or those portions of the felly of the tire adjacent the rim from creeping. The outer casin 36 is a suitable num er of layers 42 representing portions of discarded tire casings or steam hose or fire hose, or any material of like nature which can be utilized for the purpose. The tire in the particular form shown in Fig. 7 is further provided with a tread portion 43 so cut as to have flattened side portions 44 with a crown portion of a less degree of curvature than the casing 36 at its crown or tread portion, whereby the entire tire approaches a square form which is found to be advantageous for auto-trucks and the like.

The tread portion 43 is held to the main portion of the tire by screws 45 or other suitable fastenin means which may enter the main body 0 the tire to'an appropriate extent. These screws or other fastening devices where they are exterior to the ground engaging portion of the tread member 43 serve also as anti-skidding means. It is advisable to secure the head portion of the tire together in a more or less permanent manner before the tire is placed on the rim, and for this purpose a strong strand 46 is passed back and forth through the bead portion of thetire and intervening portions of the folly, as indicated in Figs. 7 and 8. The strand 46 may be a wire or a flexible bundle of small wires whereb the parts of the tire are in a manner sewe toget ier.

In Fig. 9 the outer casing with the beads thereon is still employed, but the tread portion of the casing is removed and the remainder is indicated in Fig. 9 at 36, thereby presentin to the crown or tread portion of the tire t e cut edges, as in Figs. 2 and 3, and this outer casing. 36 is provided with a filling made up of sections 42 of discarded tire casings, hose or the like, so assembled as to present the out edges to the tread portion of the tire, and the partsof the tire may be secured together and to the rim indicated at 37 by screws 45 or other fastening'means.

It will be understood that the tread ortion of the the shown in Fig. 9 may be nished as described with reference to Figs. 2 and 3 or any other suitable manner.

What is claimed is 1. A vehicle tire composed of a substantially concentrically arranged series of interlocked nested outer casings of pneumatic tires with each inner member tightly seated in the next outer one, and fastening devices traversing adjacent casings from'the sides of the tire toward the center thereof.

2. A vehicle tirecomposed of a substantially concentrically arranged series of in-, terlocked nested outer casings of pneumatic tires with each inner member ti htly seated 0 in the next outer one, the neste series having elastic metal bands embedded therein, and fastening devices traversing adjacent casings from the sides of the tire toward the center thereof.

3. In a vehicle tire, a plurality of members each of incomplete tubular form in' cross-section and with the inner part made up of fabric layers and the outer part of rubber vulcanized to the fabric layers, the several members being of progressively smaller diameter from the outside of the tire inwardly and nested together.

4. A vehicle tire composed of interlocked nested sections of pneumatic tire casings in approximately concentric relation one to the other and said tire being cut off in substantially chord relation to the cross-sectional curvature of the sides of the tire.

5. A vehicle tire coinposed of interlocked nested sections each of incomplete tubular form and composed of inner layers of fabric and an-outer layerof rubber vulcanized tothe tire to present edges at the tread pa'rt of the tire made up of the alternate layers of a fabric and rubber composing the sections. a

6. A vehicle tire composed of interlocked nested sectlons of pneumatic tire casings in approximately concentric relation one to the other and cut in approximately chord relation to the cross-sectional curvature of the sides of the tire to provide alternate-exposed edges of grouped fabric layers andrubber at the tread, and fastening means traversing adjacent casings from the exterior to the I interior of the tire.

7. A vehicle tire composed of a series of partly tubular members ininterlocked concentric nested relation. with curved metallic strips embedded therein at intervals in concentric relation to the members, the nested series-being cut in substantially chord relation to the cross-sectional curvature of the sides of the tire to present opposite edges at the tread portion of the tire, and laterally directed fastening means extending from the exterior portions of the sides of the tire toward the central portion thereof. In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own l have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

i GEORGE KELLY.- Witnesses:

FRED. B. SCI-IUCHARDT, A. H. VVAsEM. 

